FORT MYERS — Code enforcement has removed several signs with profanity on them from the front of a house in Fort Myers.
The signs appeared over the weekend, and we learned this may have to do with a dispute between the property owner and the city.
Even though the signs are gone, you can still see paint that was splashed on the walls, and trash strewn across Edgewood Ave. But when Code Enforcement got there Monday afternoon, they weren’t surprised. In fact, they told us they’ve been dealing with this guy for years.
Two city employees hauled away the obscene sign. They also removed another sign that was mounted on a utility pole nearby.
We spoke with Charlie Walters who lives in the neighborhood. He thinks the homeowner was trying to make a point.
“Obviously somebody’s irritated, and I think he’s going about it the wrong way, but that’s just one man’s opinion," said Walters.
The homeowner is Michael Goudie, and we learned that he sued the City last year for shutting off water and power to his property. The city did that because Goudie was facing a misdemeanor charge for having an unsafe dwelling. That charge and the lawsuit were both dropped, but a woman who lives nearby told us Goudie still went ahead and vandalized his own home. Walters said he doesn’t get it.
“Code Enforcement’s always been more than fair with me. If they tell me I need to do something, I just do it, and I appreciate the fact that they brought it up, because maybe I ignored it, didn’t know it," said Walters.
Walters said he’s glad Code Enforcement got rid of the signs, and he hopes Goudie will think before he tries to make a point again.
“There are kids in the neighborhood, and even if Code Enforcement was lax on something, that’s not called for," said Walters.
The code enforcement employees we spoke with said Goudie has owned the property since 2014, and they’ve had issues with him ever since. Goudie also owns another house down the street, but when we knocked, no one answered.
